1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ski and ski pole transport devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to ski and ski pole strap devices which aid in handling and transporting ski equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Due to their elongated shape, skis and ski poles are difficult and cumbersome to handle. Many prior art ski and ski pole carrying devices have been proposed. Generally, these devices combine the skis and poles in a single unit with the skis and poles generally parallel to one another for convenient carrying.
Many of these devices employ brackets or the like to rigidly mount the skis relative to the poles. Uyeda, U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,115, is one such device. Another device of this type is Hickey, U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,182. Allen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,275, is also a similar device. Wichersham, U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,102, discloses a shoulder mounted device to facilitate the carrying of skis which can be strapped to an ankle once its use for carrying the skis has ended.
Hogensen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,166, discloses a ski carrier strap which is convertible to be used as a belt once it is no longer needed to carry the skis.
It has long been recognized in the art that fabric straps with hook and loop pile fasteners such as Velcro.RTM. are versatile and convenient for bundling and transporting skis. Coats, U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,074, discloses a ski sling which has hook and loop fastener material disposed on the end of the sling. Sage, U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,901, discloses a wrap and lock ski holding assembly which also employs a chain in association with the straps employing hook and loop fastener material. Shortridge, U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,779, discloses a relatively wide band of fabric with carrying loops. The fabric is wrapped around the skis and ski poles and held in place with hook and loop fastener material or the like. Ball U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,885, discloses a single loop ski carrier strap. Two hook and loop tabs are used to disposed the strap in a "Figure 8" arrangement around the skis and ski poles. Knauf, U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,838, discloses an elongated ski carrier which has two perpendicular tabs of hook and loop fastener material disposed on its ends. Mazzoni, U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,302, is a ski carrying strap similar to Knauf and Ball.
Most pertinent to the present invention are Rosenthal, U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,927 and Dyess, U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,528. Rosenthal discloses a strap employing two "D-rings" to form a lower loop and an upper loop which are constructed of hook and loop fastener material. The lower loop encompasses a pair of skis while the upper loop surrounds a pair of ski poles. Dyess discloses a strap which also employs a "D-ring". A section of padding material disposed between the skis is attached to the "D-ring". A length of hook and loop fastener material extends from the "D-ring" to encircle and hold a pair of skis together.
Snow skiers face several specific circumstances where a well-designed ski transport strap could prevent problems. For example, it is generally required that ski poles be unbundled from their skis in order to transport the skis on the exterior ski buses. The ski poles must be carried within by the owner for safety reasons. A storage rack is often provided at the entrance to establishments in skiing areas. Generally, these racks consist only of a set of pegs extending from a wall. To effectively use such a rack the skis need to be tightly bound
together. Similarly, skis are often stored during long periods of non-use. Therefore, if they are conveniently bundled they will take up less space. When stored they will generally be in a location where other items are stored. So, it is important that a bundling strap employing hook and loop material not have a tendency to attach itself to other fabric.
The prior art fails to disclose a ski transport strap that is sufficiently convenient for use. It is desirous to provide a ski carrying strap that would be convenient to deploy and would be easy to remove and store after use. Furthermore, it is desirous to provide a ski strap that employs a convenient material such as Velcro.RTM. or Mastex.RTM. while also protecting this material from inadvertent engagement with other fabric during transport or storage of the skis.
In particular, it is desirous to provide a ski strap that can be wrapped around a set of skis a single time without the need for feeding it through relatively narrow loops or rings. Further, the strap should provide a gripping or frictional surface which will non-destructively grip the skis in a non-slip fashion. This surface serves to avoid slippage of the straps during carrying, regardless of the angle of orientation of the skis. The strap must be convenient to handle by an individual wearing gloves.
Furthermore, it is desirous that this ski strap be convertible in such a way that the ski poles may be first removed from the skis without releasing the skis from one another. Once the straps are removed from the skis, they should be capable of being easily stowed. The straps may be wrapped and secured around an individual's leg or arm. Alternatively, they may be conveniently rolled up for stowage in a pocket or pack. The exterior of the strap exposed during use or when being worn by an individual should provide a surface for indicia. The indicia can include identification or advertising by a manufacturer or business.